The Journey of the Riders
by Cellestial Moon
Summary: I had to rename the story because its nothing like the book.I dont upload new chapters very often,so sorry, and i suck at summarys so youll just have to read and review!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1

After 4 days of chasing a herd of deer, Eragon, a 16 year old boy, with brown hair, and eyes to match, slowly and silently picked up his bow and knocked one, absentmindedly holding two in readiness.

Silently he pushed his way through the dense underbrush and trees and found himself in a clearing. 40 yards away he saw the herd of deer he had chased through the spine the previous 4 days.

He felt the tension seep though his veins. The pressure bore down on him. If he missed he would go home empty handed, and his family would surly starve. They had no money and his uncle would never take charity.

He tightened his grip on the bow and pulled back on the string. He quickly chose his target aimed and-a green, blinding flash erupted in the forest. The bow twanged when he quickly let go to shield his eyes. A soft thud echoed in his ears as the arrow struck the ground.

When the light had faded he quickly glanced around. He grimaced as the last deer disappeared into the forest then turned again searching for someone or something that could have caused the disturbance. Seeing none, he walked over to the quivering arrow sticking out of the ground and grabbed the arrow. (Shit!)

He grunted and kicked the ground sending up a spray of dirt. A bare spot in the corner of the field caught his eye. He carefully walked over to the spot.

"What the?"

The trees were stripped bare, still puffing flumes of smoke. The ground encircled by trees was stripped bare, forming a perfect circle. In the middle of the circle a polished, green gem laid, the ground surrounding it was charred black. A grayish plume of smoke, lazily drifted over the stones perfectly cut edges, before disappearing into the morning mist. He carefully stepped into the circle.

Using the tip of his arrow he poked the stone, when nothing happened he leaned over and poked it with his finger, then scooped it up. "What the?" he grunted to himself. "Guess we _will_ have money for food." He let his fingers slide over its smooth surface, before he began the long walk to Carvahall.

"Damn!" Screamed a shade as he quickly searched through a small parcel.

"Its not here!"

He glared at an elf that lay crumpled on the ground. "When you wake I will torture you, until I get the information I want, or you die, whichever comes first……."

In a nearby bush a single tear touched the ground, filling the misty air with a tinge of salt. The shade dropped the small bag he had searched through, and slung the elf on his shoulder. She was beautiful, but to him, she was just another face. He whistled and a black horse emerged from behind a bush. He quickly glanced around, and then with a swift kick, he was off. Dodging trees, and bushes, he raced from the forest.

A scream pierced the night as the shade rode off, the elf over his shoulder and anger swelling within him.

Eragon walked down the cobbled road to Sloan's butcher shop. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Sloan, was a feisty, big man, who ran a butchers shop. He was a seething liar, who would do anything, and stop at nothing, to get on anyone's bad side, and wouldn't miss a chance at making Eragon in particular, look bad. He stood behind a counter cleaning a knife. Jessica, his 15 year old daughter, was nothing like him. She had blond hair and dark green eyes. She was unusually skinny for her age too.

Sloan smirked from behind his counter. "Oh hello _Eragon _what do_ you _want? To buy some meat _I suppose_ ….. But tell me _Eragon, _how do you plan to pay?" Eragon grimaced. It seemed like every time Sloan said his name he had poison in his mouth_. "_No, _Sloan, _I don't have any money but-"Sloan cut him off. "Then get out of my shop!" His body jolted as he yelled. Eragon calmly sat the polished green stone on the counter. Sloan eyed it wearily. "You've got to be kidding me! I'm not going to trade my meat for a cruddy rock!" Eragon snatched the stone as Sloan pushed him out of the shop. Eragon sighed and dropped the stone in his knapsack as the door slammed behind him.

"PSST!" Eragon looked around. Jessica stood behind the shop. "Come here!" She motioned for him to follow.

Jessica disappeared behind the building. Eragon followed her. "Eragon, I'm sorry my pa kicked you out of his shop so…., I'm gonna get you some meat, okay? And don't say no because I know how you are." He stared at her. "Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble…" She nodded. "Yeah, but I won't." She slipped inside; "Oh!" she stepped back outside the door. "I'm gonna need your bag too." Eragon nodded and handed it to her.

She quickly stepped inside again. There was a series of quick chopping before she stepped outside with his bag in hand. "That's as much as I could fit. I hope its enough." He nodded. "You don't know how much you've helped me." She smiled and darted down an alley that led to her house.

Eragon began the long walk to his house. When he got there he found that the light was on. Garrow, his uncle, was sitting in an old rocker, watching the sun set. Eragon picked up his pace. "Uncle Garrow!" His uncle stood up and waved. Eragon started to trot. Garrow opened the door when Eragon stepped on the porch. "You were gone for quite some time!" His uncle smiled at him. Eragon stepped into the old house, the floor boards creaked under his weight. Eragon smiled as familiar scents, and sounds flooded his memories.

"So…Eragon? Did you get one? Eragon shrugged. "Sorta…" Garrow frowned. "What do you mean sorta?" Eragon laid his bag on the floor and pulled out the polished green stone. "I had the deer sighted, and"-Eragon told him the story as if he were still there. When he was finished Garrow shook his head. "I almost don't believe ya but sure enough, here's the stone, so what about the meat?" Eragon dumped the bags contents on the table and explained what Jessica had done. "So you're saying she stole the meat for you?" Eragon shrugged. "Yeah but she wouldn't let me leave so….." "You owe her now." Eragon nodded. "I know." There was a mischievous glint in Garrow's eye as he grabbed a slab of meat. "Okay, just telling you, now let's eat!"

Eragon looked around. "Where's Roran?" Garrow put the meat on the stove. "Oh, He's outside finishing the chores." Eragon nodded. "Is it ready yet?" Garrow nodded after a while. Eragon Jumped up and grabbed half of it the slab. "Pig" Garrow grumbled then grabbed some for himself. Eragon grunted as he wolfed it down, and then lumbered off to his room. He clumsily shoved the stone onto his shelf with the other little things he had found in the spine then dropped onto his bed, falling asleep immediately.


	2. Not much to say

Chapter 2

Jessica strolled down an alley in Carvahall. "None of this is worth my time…."

She ignored the merchants who held out their trinkets when she walked by. "Junk, junk, junk, junk, oh and what's that? Oh! It must be even _more _junk!"

She fingered the large amount of coins in her knapsack. She continued down the road until she was at the end. A bluish glint caught her eye. She stepped into the tent.

An old salesman looked up at her. He directed to the floor. "Please, have a seat."

She sat. "I am interested in something of yours." He looked around. "Of great value is it?"

She nodded. He held up many trinkets, and jewels. After she declined each of them he sighed. "Well there is one more….but its worth is unknown, and I'm afraid you won't be able to afford it….."

Jessica nodded. "Show it to me." He pulled out a parcel and slowly unwrapped the folds of cloth. Jessica gasped. "It's beautiful!" He sat a bluish sapphire in front of her. Its corners were perfectly cut, and whitish veins webbed within the shell. "How much is it? I'll take it!"

The merchants face dropped. "Well what do you have? Most people around here don't have money…." Jessica dumped the coins in her knapsack in front of him. He quickly counted out the coins. "I don't know if it's enough…." The merchant noted as he pushed the coins around with his finger. "You're kidding me! That's almost 150 crowns!" "No I'm sorry…it's just not enough…" She raked the coins back in her knapsack. "Then what is?" He stared at it and scratched his chin. "Tell ya what….if you can manage to bring me 200 crowns, then ill be happy to sell it to you."

She nodded. "I'll be back in about 10 minutes. Don't sell it to anyone."

The merchant covered the stone and hid it. "No problem." He mumbled as she raced to her house.

Jessica flew through the streets, and into her house. She ran to her room and yanked a jar out from under her bed. She opened her knapsack and poured the jars contents into the knapsack, then raced back to the merchant's tent.

When she got there she found Eragon and his uncle sitting in the tent talking to the man. She stepped inside. "Hey! You promised you wouldn't sell the stone! I told you I would be right back!" The merchant glared at her. "I wasn't selling the stone. Do you have the money?" "Yes" she shoved Eragon out of the way, and then dumped the money on the floor. Eragon and Garrow's eyes lit up. The merchant counted out the money. "You're a crown short." Jessica's face reddened with anger. "That's all I have!" The merchant sighed well sorry…I just don't feel comfortable selling it at such a low price.

Eragon reached in his pocket and pulled out a crown. "Here…..for last night." Jessica stared at him. Then her eyes grew soft. "Thank you." She tossed the coin at the merchant. "There, now give me the stone." He nodded, and hesitantly pulled the stone out from under the mat. Eragon's eyes grew. When the deal was done, Eragon stepped out of the tent. "Garrow, I changed my mind, I'm gonna keep the stone."

He followed Jessica to her house and knocked on her door.

"Coming!" The door swung open. "Eragon, What are you doing here? Come in!"

Jessica led him to her room. "So? What's on your mind?" Eragon pulled his gem out of his bag. "This." He sat it on the bed. Her eyes grew. "But…but I have one too! You were there you gave me money!" Eragon nodded. "Yes, except I found mine in the spine." Jessica gasped. "Hold on, I'll be right back." She left the room. Eragon looked around.

There was a small desk in the far corner of the room, there was a candle on one side and a pad of paper and pen was on the other side. The bed was angled so the side of the bed was against the wall, and the head board was in the corner. There was a little table beside it with a book on it. He looked at the print on it, ("It looks really good")

He went over to the desk. "What's this?" He flipped through the pages. "They're…dragons."

Jessica walked in and smacked a hand on top of the pictures. "There is _nothing_ to see here. Forget it, okay?" Eragon nodded. "Sorry…" She sighed and sat on the bed. "So what do you think they are?" Eragon shrugged, and slid his fingers over its surface. "I don't know, but whatever they're made of, it must have been really valuable to have been shaped like this. Jessica nodded then yawned and stretched noting the sunset. The sun had sank behind the tall trees that lined the spine's crests casting the sky into deep shades of purple and orange. Eragon stood and picked up his stone. "Not really much to say…..Look I have to go, I'm supposed to meet my uncle at the pub." Jessica stood and nodded jamming the stone under her bed before showing him to the door. "See ya later I guess…" Eragon nodded and left racing straight to the pub.

Eragon pushed the door open and stepped into the pub. He quickly looked around. The room was filled with traders and buyers. Most of the tables were being used. The chairs surrounding the fireplace were all occupied with rough looking men with swords and bows.

Garrow sat at a corner table with Roary, each seemed lost in conversation. Eragon made his to the table and sat in a chair. Garrow turned in surprise. "What do you want?" Eragon folded his arms. "You told me to meet you here...you know, for dinner?" Garrow nodded. "Right." He waved to a waitress. "What do you guys want?"

The waitress left after taking the orders returning minutes later with plates of steaming food. They ate in silence only speaking when the plates were empty. Garrow leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "We'll probly be here a while longer so just go do whatever, and Eragon don't rile up Brom with your endless questions. Now off with you." Eragon quickly stood and crossed the room and slipped out of the pub, and onto the streets searching the tents for anything worth having.

Jessica slipped out of her house. ("There has to be something to do…") She stepped onto the street, walking aimlessly past the merchants and their tents.


End file.
